Faith in the headlines

Published
7:00 pm EST, Friday, March 4, 2005

Church to mark 15th anniversary

Faith Ministries Baptist Church in Midland will celebrate its 15th anniversary on Sunday, March 13.

Celebratory activities will begin at the 10:15 a.m. worship service followed by a fellowship dinner. The events will conclude with another worship service and program at 4 p.m.. The special guest will be from St. Paul Baptist Church of Saginaw. The public is invited to attend all events.

Faith Ministries is at 3420 E. Ashman St.

Minister coming for healing service

Cleft of the Rock Family Church will host a guest minister, Dr. Ed Dufresne for a healing service on Friday, March 11, through Sunday, March 13.

Sessions are at 7 p.m. March 11 and 12 and 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. March 13.

The church is at 2575 W. River Road in Sanford. To learn more, call 687-5028.

Cemetery cleanup under way

Annual spring cleanup is under way at the cemeteries operated by the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw.

All decorations must be removed by Monday, March 14. Decorations left after that date will be discarded by staff.

To learn more, call the cemetery offices: St. Patrick and St. Stanislaus Kostka in Bay City at (989) 893-2697; Mount Olivet in Saginaw at (989) 752-7159; St. Andrew in Saginaw at (989) 792-3131; and Calvary and St. Anne in Kawkawlin at (989) 684-0666.

Ministry fair is Sunday

Open Door Baptist Church at 6200 Sturgeon Ave. in Midland will host a ministry fair from 12:15 to 2 p.m. Sunday.

This is a chance to learn about the various ways people can become involved in the church and can help others. A light lunch will be served and all are welcome.

To learn more, call 832-3402.

Concert is set

Nease Memorial Church of the Nazarene will host a concert by The Walkers at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The church is at 5315 Isabella, just west of downtown Midland. To learn more, call 835-8665.

Group to seek common ground among religions

A new weekly study group for people interested in spiritual growth is forming in Mount Pleasant. The Rev. Bob Allen, who leads the Inner Light Spiritual Fellowship in Saginaw, is helping establish the study group that will meet Tuesday evenings at Mount Pleasant's Veterans Memorial Library.

The group will begin meeting March 8 and welcomes people of every faith or no particular faith who have tolerance and respect for other people's beliefs. Meetings will include prayer, meditation, music, readings and discussion. The group will seek what is sometimes called the "golden thread," which runs through all religions.

Meetings will begin with a study of "A Course In Miracles," a metaphysical work popularized by Marianne Williamson who has been on the "Oprah Winfrey Show." The group will draw on a number of teachings, including Unity, Science of Mind and Kabbalah.

This new group envisions being the nucleus for an eventual Interfaith Spiritual Center in Mount Pleasant.

A former Midlander recently accepted a faculty position at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

Gary Dorrien, a 1970 graduate of Midland High School, will occupy the Reinhold Niebuhr chair in social ethics. The school's president, Joseph C. Hough Jr., said that Dorrien's work has "established him as one who has extraordinary command of the history of liberal theology and a broad knowledge of the major social ethical issues facing our world."

Dorrien, who was a professor at Kalamazoo College and dean of Stetson Chapel there, is an Episcopal priest and author of 11 books and many articles dealing with theology, philosophy, social theory, politics, ethics and history.

Dorrien graduated from Alma College and earned a master of divinity at Union Theological Seminary in 1978. He also earned master's degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Union Graduate School.

Among the organizations he is involved in is the American Theological Society, of which he is president.

Dorrien's wife, Brenda, was a Presbyterian minister who died of cancer in 2000. He has a daughter, Sara.

Opportunity planned to learn about ministry

Aldersgate United Methodist Church will showcase many programs during a "Cruising Through Aldersgate Ministry & Mission Fair" on Sunday.

The event will follow the 9:25 a.m. service and is in conjunction with the Lenten study, "40 Days of Purpose," which began in January and is based on Rick Warren's best-selling book, "Purpose-Driven Life."

The 40 Days of Purpose program features small group gatherings, daily devotional readings and weekly sermons by Aldersgate UMC pastor, the Rev. Doug Trebilcock.

For the missions fair on Sunday, more than 25 ministry and mission booths will be displayed. Participants will learn about opportunities for service to church and community. The community is invited to explore ways to put the gifts and talents provided by God into action.

For more, contact Dan Foster at 839-9103. The church is at 2206 Airfield Lane.

Funds being raised for missions

The Mexicali Mission Team of First Baptist Church is having a silent auction and dessert party from 7 to 9 p.m. today.

Proceeds will help defray the costs of the mission team's trip to Mexicali, Mexico, in mid-June. The 17 youth and 17 adults going will help build a dormitory at a seminary and lead Vacation Bible School for children in the area.